Paper no. 109 Literary Theory and Indian Aesthetics

1. Vakrokti as Theory
PRESENTED BY BHAVNA SOSA

2. Topic : Vakrokti as a Theory
M. A. Sem – 2
Paper no. 109 : Literary Theory and Indian Aesthetics
Roll number : 02
Enrollment no. :4069206420210034
Email id bhavnasosa211@gmail.com
Submitted to : S. B. Gardi Department of English MKBU

3. Introduction :
 Vakrokti is a kind of device used by the poets of
every age and country, which can be simply defined
as deviant language.
 By deviant language we mean that it is not straight
and simple expression.

4. About Kuntaka :
 Kuntaka was Kashmiri Sanskrit Poetician and literary
theorist who is remarkable for his work ‘
Vakroktijivitam’ in which he postualates the vakrokti
Siddhanta or theory of oblique expression, which he
considers as the hallmark of creative literature.

5.  Kuntaka, the greatest exponent of the theory of
Vakrokti, is one of the most original thinkers
produced by the ancient India and his formulations
after, ‘ the most striking similarities with modern
Western analytic criticism.’

6. Kuntaka’s Nation of Vakrokti
 Kuntaka wrote this theory based on the central premise
that the charisma of poetry is grounded on a
strikingness of expression.
 So, Vakrokti avoids expression of ideas by using
conventional mode of speech.
 Instead, it demands the use of striking words. This is
unlike scriptures which require one to use established
words or ways.

7. Meaning of Vakrokti :
 The term ‘Vakrokti’ is made up of two components :
 ‘vakra’, which means ‘crooked, oblique, or unique.’
 ‘ukti’, which means ‘expression’ or ‘speech’.

8. Definition of Vakrokti :
 According to Kuntaka,
“Vakrokti is the source of beauty in kavya which is
quite opposite to the description of a thing as it is.”
 Dandin ,
“ Vakrokti as poetic figure accept svabhavokti”.

9. ...
 Vamana considered,
“ Vakrokti as a special poetic figure of based on
lakshana.”
 According to Bhamaha,
“ Vakrokti as mode of expression because it is the
fundamental principle of figurative expression.”

10. Six Types of Vakrokti :
 The phonetic level –Varnavyasa Vakrata
 The Lexical level – Padpurvaradha Vakrata
 The Grammatical Level – Pratyaya Vakrata
 The Sentential Level – Vakyavakrata
 The Contextual Level – prakarana Vakrata
 The Compositional Level – Prabandha Vakrata

11. Conclusion :
 To conclude, vakrokti was taken up for discussion
by various scholars like Bhāmaha, Dandin, Vamana,
Rudrata etc., it was Kuntaka who elevated it to the
status of an “all pervading” poetic concept. Hence,
Kuntaka’s Vakroktijīvita is considered to be the
masterpiece of vakrokti theory. I

12. Citation :
 Pathak, R. S. “THE INDIAN THEORY OF VAKROKTI IN
RELATION TO THE STYLISTIC CONCEPT OF
DEVIANCE.” Annals of the Bhandarkar Oriental
Research Institute, vol. 63, no. ¼, 1982, pp. 195–211,
http://www.jstor.org/stable/41692973. Accessed 14
Apr. 2022.
 https://old.mu.ac.in